Frequently Asked Questions

Why see an MNZAS Audiologist?

An MNZAS Audiologist is a member of the New Zealand Audiological Society. MNZAS Audiologists have undertaken at least 5 years of university study and have a postgraduate qualification, usually a Diploma or Master's Degree in Audiology. They have an additional year of supervised practice in order to receive a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC) from the New Zealand Audiological Society. In addition, MNZAS Audiologists are required to participate in ongoing continuing education to maintain their Practicing Certificates. This is a requirement in order to remain a member of the New Zealand Audiological Society. Only audiologists who are full members of the New Zealand Audiological Society can obtain hearing aid funding through ACC, War Pensions or the Health Funding Authority on behalf of their clients.

What is an "Independent" Audiologist?

Independent Audiologists have no financial links with, and are therefore independent of any of the Hearing Aid companies that supply our products. Independent audiologists have no financial incentives to fit specific hearing aid brands. We fit the hearing aid best suited to our client's needs and hearing loss. All audiologists at Hearing Care clinics belong to the New Zealand Association of Independent Audiologists are fully qualified University-trained hearing health care professionals. We are specialists in hearing aids and diagnostic audiological assessment.

What is that 'ringing' noise in my ears?

Tinnitus is the name given to the sensation of sound when there is no external physical sound present. It is often perceived as a "ringing" or "buzzing" noise, or a variety of other sounds. It can be heard in one or both ears or localized "in the head" and tends to be more noticeable at night when it is quiet. Tinnitus is often associated with sensor neural (permanent) hearing loss. Often hearing aid users find that the increased sound input from the hearing aids makes their tinnitus less noticeable. An audiologist will be able to perform a full audiological assessment to rule out any medical cause for the tinnitus and discuss individual treatment options.

How much do hearing aids cost?

The cost of hearing aids depends on the type and degree of hearing loss, style of hearing aid and technology inside the hearing aid. A full audiological assessment is required to determine the type and degree of hearing loss. The audiologist will discuss with you the types of situations you have difficulty in and your lifestyle needs. Other factors such as cosmetics, dexterity and price will also be taken into account. If you are considering a hearing aid we recommend you see one of our audiologists for an audiological assessment and no obligation hearing aid discussion.

Is there any funding available for hearing aids?

There are many funding options available to hearing aid candidates. These include ACC, War Pensions, the Health Funding Authority (Accessable/Enable) and Work and Income (WINZ). An ACC claim can be made for those people that have worked in noisy environments and may have developed a noise-induced hearing loss. War Pensioners are likely to be eligible hearing aid funding through War Pensions. Accessable/Enable funding is available for clients in full-time employment or full-time education, those currently seeking employment and primary caregivers of young children. For those people on any type of benefit, WINZ will consider a repayable loan of up to $1000 towards the purchase of a hearing aid.
All adult patients who purchase a hearing aid and are not eligible for funding through any of the above agencies are eligible for a Universal Hearing Aid Subsidy. This subsidy is currently set at $198 per hearing aid and is available to individuals every 5 years. The subsidy is applied to each hearing aid purchased and so a total subsidy of $396 is applied to the purchase of two hearing aids. An audiologist will be able to advise you of the various funding options available and their eligibility criteria. However, only audiologists who are full members of the New Zealand Audiological Society (MNZAS) are able to access funding from these agencies.

How do I know which hearing aid is right for me?

All Audiologists at Northland Hearing Clinic and Hearing Care are members of the New Zealand Audiological Society and New Zealand Association of Independent Audiologists. We will recommend the most appropriate hearing aid for your needs and allow you to trial the hearing aids for 6 weeks. If the hearing aids do not meet your needs they can be returned and your money will be refunded in full. Alternatively, if the first model trialed doesn't meet your needs different model can then be trialed. All money paid toward the first instruments will be credited toward the second and you will have an additional 6 weeks to decide if the new instrument is appropriate for you. Appointments will be arranged every 2-3 weeks to monitor your progress and make any fine tuning if necessary. The time involved for a successful outcome varies. We encourage you to persevere and we are happy to see you as many times as necessary to provide the most appropriate solution to your hearing needs.

What is a digital hearing aid?

Digital hearing aids are, in essence, miniaturized computers. They convert sound to an electrical signal, then a digital signal, which is a numerical code representing the intensities and frequencies of the original sound. The digital signal can be processed in many different ways and is then converted back to an electrical signal, and then sound. While earlier hearing aids were adjusted with a screwdriver, digital hearing aids are programmed by a computer. This allows hearing aids to have more flexibility in their fine tuning adjustments. Advantages of digital hearing aids include better hearing in background noise and elimination of annoying feedback problems.

Do I need hearing aids in both ears?

If there is hearing loss in both ears generally two hearing aids are recommended. Two hearing aids give a more natural sound (after all you have two ears) and make you feel more balanced. When the brain receives information from both ears it allows you to localise sound more easily and most importantly help you to hear much better in noisy situations.

Will hearing aids make my hearing worse or my ears "lazy"?

It is a common misconception that wearing hearing aids somehow makes your ears "lazy" or causes your hearing to deteriorate. Hearing aids will not make your hearing worse as they are programmed to never over-amplify sounds. Use of hearing aids stimulates your remaining hearing and amplifies sounds that the brain has not been receiving. This has the effect of "exercising" the brain so that it becomes better at recognising speech and filtering out unwanted noise. This does, however, take time and perseverance.